Desertion Chronicles
by Hyper Danger Awesome Rangers
Summary: Two shinigami have deserted the Gotei 13 to pursue their own quests, one for vengeance, the other for atonement. During their quests, they meet and face a formidable foe. This is their story. These are the Desertion Chronicles.
1. Arrival! Double Zanpakuto!

Bleach:

Desertion Chronicles

Chapter 1:

Arrival! Double Zanpakuto!

The sun sets over the mountains on a small town called Sansui to the northeast of Karakura. Noburo Tsukino checked his watch as he walked home to his store. As he ruffled his unruly brown hair with his hands, he sighed. "9:30...that trip took longer than I expected. Oh well, I got a nice walk out of it." Noburo eased back into his usual relaxed posture. As he reached his door and turned the key, he stopped. "Another hollow..." He chuckled, then sighed. "That's the fifth one in the past 2 days. They're unusually active right now."

Noburo grasped the stone ring --one half white, the other black-- around his neck, then firmly pushed it into his chest. As black robes appeared on him, he grasped his sword, which had appeared with his robes on his right side. "Time to 'shunpo' on over. This won't take lo- wait...it's gone. And now I sense...a shinigami? This is worth investigating." Then suddenly, he vanished.

Noburo appeared on the bank of the river that ran through the center of Sansui. "He's somewhere near the river...there. Hey! You! What are you doing in my town?" There was a shinigami standing a few feet above the surface of the river, the body of a hollow fading away next to him. The shinigami stared at Noburo curiously, his dark blue, left-oriented spiked hair waving slightly in the wind and sheathed his zanpakuto and looked up, a friendly smile crossing his face.

"A shinigami with two Zanpakuto? Rare indeed," said Noburo.

"Are you this town's shinigami?" The stranger shinigami looked over Noburo with his white eyes in a piercing yet kind gaze, waiting for an answer to his question. Noburo waited, staring at the shinigami's eyes, but when the light of the moon shifted, he realized the shinigami's eyes were truly white. Noburo chuckled.

"Yes, sorta... I wouldn't use the term 'shinigami' myself, but I s'pose it works for all intents and purposes. I'm Noburo Tsukino."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Kichiro Wakahisa." With a look at Noburo's right wrist, he added, "Now what would a shinigami need a Quincy bracelet for?"

Noburo chuckled again. "What, this old thing? It's just a souvenir. Besides. 'Not-shinigami'. Remember? What about you? What's your story? Why would Soul Society send someone to Sansui town?"

"I'm not a shinigami anymore." Kichiro's smile faded and he hardened slightly.

Noburo cocked his head to the side thoughtfully. "Is that so? Well, you'll have to tell me the story. I tell you mine, you tell me yours; Isn't that how it works? But first a meal and some lodging."

"You'd put me up? Why?"

Noburo replied, "Why not? You're a fellow deserter. Plus, the hollow activity around here is becoming more frequent for some reason; I could use the help. You might even learn a thing or two." Noburo winked, and for a split second, Kichiro thought he could see his blue eyes flash a hint of black and yellow.

"Alright...lead the way." Kichiro bowed slightly.

Noburo smiled "Good! Follow me." And with that, Noburo disappeared.

"What a strange guy...Hey! Wait up, shini-er...I mean...quincygami!" And with that, Kichiro used his own shunpo to follow Noburo home.


	2. Remorseful Vengeance

Bleach:

Desertion Chronicles

Chapter 2:

Remorseful Vengeance

Noburo lead Kichiro back to his store, with the key still in the lock. He completed turning the key and opened the door, flipping the light switch inside. As Kichiro stepped inside, he glanced from one wall to another, noticing every type of blade known to man. There were broadswords, rapiers, katanas, and even Chinese straight swords. Even American pocket knives to Chinese trench knives filled glass cabinets that were the counters.

Kichiro stepped inside the shop and crossed his arms, looking over a large blade hanging high on the wall. "So I take it this is how you're making a living here in the real world?" he asked.

"You could say that. I don't know if most people would call this a living, but I quite enjoy it. I make and sell any type of blade." Noburo stopped at a doorway in the back of the shop, "Have a seat and I'll heat up some sake, then we can talk."

In the center of the shop was a low table with a pillow on either side. After removing his two zanpaktou from his belt and leaning them against the counter, he sat down. Noburo stepped out of the back room after a few minutes with a tokkuri (flask) sull of sake and two choko (cups).

"So, tell me, my friend, why are you no longer among the ranks of the Gotei?" Noburo took a choko and poured some sake while waiting for a response.

Kichiro looked at the cup before him. "Wait...we need to be in our gigais to have a drink...problem is...I don't have one."

Noburo chuckled, "Oh that's right. I almost forgot. Well, you can use my gigai. I'll go get it, hold on." Noburo grabbed the stone ring around his neck, and began to change back. His robes seemed to slip off his body toward the ring, and his zanpakuto burst into a metallic, black fog that drifted up to the ring. In mere seconds, he had taken physical form once again. Noburo headed up the stairs, leaving Kichiro behind, a look of disbelief on his face.

"Now that needs some explaining, Noburo-san!" Kichiro shouted up the stairs at Noburo.

Noburo returned, laughing as he came. "Yes, yes. I suppose I'll tell my story first. Here." He thrust the gigai at Kichiro and sat down at the table. After Kichiro possessed the gigai, Noburo began his tale.

"It starts a long time ago. During the Shinigami-Quincy Wars to be exact.

"I was acting third seat on the second Gotei squad under the leadership of Captain Yoruichi and Vice-captain Sui Fong. During this time, The Quincys were beginning their assault on Soul Society and, more specifically, the thirteen Gotei squads.

"Captain Genryu-sama learned of their attack and sent ahead two squads to crush the opposition: eleventh squad and second squad. Our mission was simple: scout the opposition, and eliminate preliminary defenses. We were the first line.

"I was instructed to lead the first platoon on the first wave. During this time I fought a Quincy. Shinichi was his name. He was actually quite honorable, if I do say so myself. During our fight, we got to talking, and I didn't necessarily agree with everything he said, but he did have some good points. You may have heard of 'speaking with the blade,' and that's exactly what happened. It was through the fighting the I came to truly respect him. And that's what made it so hard for me to kill him.

"It was because of my guilt and regret of killing Shinichi that I decided to leave the Gotei for good. For a while I traveled Soul Society, and later the real world. I eventually found Sansui town and this is where I stay as the town's resident 'shinigami.'"

Noburo broke from his reminisce and Kichiro nodded, staring down at the table in thought, his arms crossed. "So that bracelet...belonged to Shinichi."

With a look of thoughtful anguish, Noburo twisted the bracelet around his wrist. "Yeah...I wear it in remembrance. It reminds me of a great man whom I respected and of the terrible deeds I was forced to commit." The look on his face changed to a thoughtful smile. "I hope to some day be able to use it in his memory to protect as a way to atone for my sins."

"Wow...what a depressing story." Kichiro remarked, almost with a sarcastic tone.

"Yeah, but at the end of every sad story, is the beginning of something happy. For instance, now I've got a second chance...as a 'Quincygami'. Right?" Noburo replied.

Kichiro smirked. "Exactly."

Noburo poured a second round of sake. "So what about you? What's your story?"

Kichiro's smile faded and he downed his sake, holding the cup up for another round.

"I'm gonna need more than that."


End file.
